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Each of the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell us of the ministry of John the Baptizer, getting people ready for the coming of the the Messiah.  Evidently, some prep is needed.  People need to be brought along to the changing of the world.  They need to be massaged a bit, made ready, for the pure love of God breaking into human reality.  

It’s a drastic message, so it must come from a drastic source.  John is known for wearing camel’s hair clothing and eating locusts, yes, the bugs, and honey.  That was way out, even for the first century.  But it got people’s attention.  And we are told that people flocked to the wilderness, to the Jordan River, to be baptized by John, to be prepared for what God was about to do.  

Now, how do we prepare for Jesus’ coming today?  We buy presents.  We buy more presents.  We perpetuate the story of Santa and the flying reindeer, who bring toys to girls and boys.  And we like heart warming stories where kids who might not have gotten any presents find gifts under the tree on Christmas morning.  We like to support efforts to bring a little Christmas to those who are left out the rest of the year.  This is all well and good, but then we wrap Christmas up, put it away, for another year. 

But John the Baptizer reminds us that there is more to the message of Jesus.  More than charity though that is certainly needed in our world today.  But John also speaks of justice.  A new world order.  Where there is no need because people are not taken advantage of, abused, oppressed, demeaned and degraded.  When the command for justice is fulfilled, there is very little need for charity.   

Prayer:  May we prepare ourselves for the new reality ushered in by the gospel of Jesus.  May we not be afraid of the power of the gospel.  Amen.

This devotion was prepared by Rev. Kim P. Wells, pastor of Lakewood United Church of Christ in St. Petersburg, FL.

We recently engaged in the annual ritual of watching the movie, “The Grinch.”   Not the original cartoon, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” but the full length movie made in 2018.  Each year, something different strikes me in the movie. This year, I noticed how everybody changes in the movie not just the Grinch.  Cindy Lou Who changes.  Her family changes.  The townspeople change.  They all come to see Christmas in a new way. There may be one exception.  The mayor of Whoville.  Does he change?  It’s a hard sell for him.  Probably because he is the most powerful figure in the town.  He has the most say so.  He controls and dominates everything.  So why would he want to change?  Why would he want the town to change?  Even the police chief softens toward the Grinch, but the mayor, he’s holding on to his grudge against the Grinch with both fists.   So, I’m imagining a ‘changometer.’  At one side of the dial, ‘extremely averse to change.’  And at the other end of the dial, ‘very open to change.’  And I am wondering where we might find ourselves on that spectrum.  Do we really want everything around us to change – like Mary says, the mighty cast down from their thrones, those of low degree exalted?  The rich sent empty away.  The poor full.  Are we at that ‘very open to change’ end of the spectrum?  Or are we a bit more reticent to see everything turned topsy turvy around us?   Some people around us say they want a LOT of change but it is not the kind of change Mary envisions.  In fact, it is the opposite.  It is ensconcing the rich in their power and position and denying the poor.   This advent season is a time to examine where we are with change and what kind of change we may want to see.  Is it consistent with Mary’s vision?   Prayer:  May we be open to change this season and every season.  Change that reflects the dream of God, the gospel values of Mary, the teachings of Jesus.  Amen. This devotion was prepared by Rev. Kim P. Wells, pastor of Lakewood United Church of Christ in St. Petersburg, FL.